The point of my earlier post wasn't to say engineers are never at fault, I know I have made my share of mistakes. I am simply saying there are too many layers to know where the issue really came from, and it is just as likely to be the fault of the engineers as it is purchasing, assembly, management, etc. Engineers are just the easy scapegoat for pretty much every other department

 

That was me taking a shot at the suggestion that people shouldn't be complaining about a design flaw when there are easy work-arounds.

 

Yep. see I take things too literal

 

The point I made up above was that from our perspective as consumers it makes no difference where the fault lies in the hierarchy ... Ford made a mistake. Doesn't matter if it was engineering (BTW I am an engineer of 45 + years' standing), or marketing, or product management. That only matters to Ford management, assuming they are interested in continuous improvement.
The only relevant point for a consumer (us) is how does any individual respond? Some of us will find workarounds (chargers, drive more, Forscan, remote start, whatever....), some will try to hold Ford accountable by insisting on a battery replacement, some will swear off of Ford products forever ... whatever.

 

Have you BEEN to a Sierra/Silverado forum lately? lol!

I was following one and there are PLENTY of gripes and frustrations in that area. I've no doubt Rams, Titans, Tundras, etc have the same. I follow a Sienna thread on Reddit and even the friggin Toyota Sienna is filled with frustration (IMO on very minor things but I have a 2009 Sienna and the newer ones are all spaceships by comparison!)

Personally, I would greatly appreciate knowing WHY decisions are made. It may not help the bottom line but it helps me understand. As many others have said, there are many layers to product design/manufacturing. Engineers aren't always right, nor are salesman, machinists, marketers, mgmt, etc, etc. Sometimes any one in that string makes a mistake; sometimes its the 'squeakiest wheel' that wins the argument. I work in the marine industry, where design vs manufacturability vs life-cycle costs vs reliability all come into play. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don't. Airplane industry isn't much different, from what I read.

Bottom line to me is: how does Ford/manu's deal with the issues once they're discovered? I'm a very new owner (like 1.5 weeks with a 22 XLT 5.0L) so very much in the honeymoon phase. Before that, I was following Silverado Duramax forums. I was impressed that GM handled their long-start/no-start issue, but it DID take some time for the issue to get solved. One of the engineers also explained the rationale behind the oil pump belt (which many on forums decried as a horrible idea) and once you gear the guy explain it, why they went that way, the industry experience, you quickly dismiss the naysayers as their experience doesn't compare (in this instance).

 

Have you called/contacted Ford or your dealer?

Have you contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and reported a safety issue?

https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem

 

well the title of the thread is engineering blunders.

 

Personally I love my new F150. Are there thing I would change? Yeah sure. But at the end of the day I am pleased with it. One thing I don't miss about my old Silverado is the fact that the trans shifted horribly and the trans would clunk. It did that from the time I bought it in 2014 until I sold it. Ford cannot build a truck that everyone will be 100% happy with. Hell nobody can. I did research for a year on all trucks before I ordered mine including talking to friends and family members about their trucks and even driving them. I am 90% happy and I don't regret my decision. But that's just me.

 

I am in about the same space...naturally, I am disappointed in a few things like the battery issues, the OTA issues, and the relative unresponsiveness of my local dealer. But on the whole I am very pleased with my new truck.

 

I kinda feel that closing this thread permanently until the OP actually returns he's been MIA since starting this thread, would be a good move.